She collapsed to the floor, clutching her heart to see if it was still there. Her back upon the stony floor. She felt as if she had died as well.
"He died a true warrior's death, fighting to the bitter end. He struck Algrim with a sword in the back while I was being pummeled into the ground with no end in sight. Algrim turned and thrusted Loki upon it. He was then sent flying back, but Loki, the trickster," Thor started to chuckle as more tears fell. "Released a wormhole and sent him to Hel. He-he died in my arms. My apologies, Sigyn. I trusted him too late. I will come back to release you from your stony prison to guide him to Valhalla. He deserves that at the least among seeing you again. I know you will be in great pain, but you should know none the less. His last words was that he didn't do any of this for father."
She felt the fabric around her eyes become wet. Her body began to shake and shudder. Her lips started to tingle and become numb. "No." Sigyn whispered. "No, no, no, no, no." She clutched to where her heart is, or was at. Sigyn felt hollow inside. She cried out in despair. She started to rip her dress off of her. "My Loki. My husband. Gone. Dead." I have no way of knowing if this is true, which it must be from Thor. He died worthy, I must take him to Valhalla. I need to take this off of me. She stood up ripping away more of her dress. Sigyn wanted to run, to escape. She didn't care where she went. Somehow, she found herself in a room full of items. She bumped into something making it crash onto the floor breaking. Sigyn heard soft footsteps. She tried to back away from them.
"Milady?" A Jotunness called to her.
"Leave me be," she started to rip more fabric off of her. Her voice started to choke up again and tears flowed down. Sigyn started to rip off her chains, making herself bleed. She screamed in pain, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness in her heart.
She then heard loud footsteps. Familiar steps that could only belong to one Jotun.
"What is going on here?" Grundroth came into the room. He looked over to Sigyn who still tried to struggle in breaking herself free of the chains. "Stop! At once!" He yelled as the Jotunness bowed. Grundroth walked to her and yanked the chains away from her. She screamed in anger and despair again. Fires struck out around her. The Jotunness jumped back while Grundroth became intrigued.
The flames dissipated once she stopped. Grundroth could see sparks of several colors in the flames. He wanted to experiment on her now. He laced his fingers in the rings and pulled her to him.
"I do not know what you are feeling, but you have brought something new that I must have," he explained to her. "Something big must have happened or your anger has finally surfaced of wanting to leave your chains behind to be with your feathered friends. But because you are trying to escape and broke several furnishings I will have to punish you."
"Go ahead," she clenched her jaw. "Pain is nothing to me. It may perhaps let me feel something."
Grundroth smirked as her clawed into her back. She gasped and clutched her ragged dress. He dug in more as blood dripped from the icicles upon his fingers.
"If I wanted my back scratched, I would have done it myself," she panted. Sigyn egged him on. She wanted him to bring her to the brink of death so that she could take the next step of going to Valhalla.
Grundroth became angered and gripped his claws into her shoulder. She screamed out in pain as small flames start lick around her. He pushed in deeper as the flames became higher. Grundroth twisted them a little and the blue flames turned yellow. His eyes lit up with interest. He told Jotunness to throw something into the fire to see what it does.
She followed his shouted command. The small pot of herbs tossed in the fire and it combusted on impact. He twisted another way and got a golden orange. Another pot was tossed in, this one melted into liquid then became steam. Grundroth started to smile. He twisted again to get purple. The next pot started to turn to a dark purple and give off purple fog that made the pot disintegrate. The next color he found was pink, the pot cooked to a crisp as if it had been skin. A green flame came next. This pot became a puddle of slime. He laughed at this one. He twisted once more to get a grey flame. This one coated the pot as it broke. He laughed even more.
Grundroth decided to do one more thrust and twist but he put all of his effort into it. Sigyn screamed out in pain as her body responded by trying to get his hand out of her. He was shocked to see the last flame, a bright white flame. It showed the soul of the potted plant. He let his fingers slip in further without knowing and the flame grew brighter almost blinding them yet it destroyed the soul of the plant before it ever left the room. He took his hand out of her shoulder and let the rings go. He petted her head. "You will be sought by everyone. I will need more guards especially when the Convergence will be lined up." He picked her up by her throat and examined her. "I want her healed. Dress her in more lavish garments. Keep her back open, hair up, and make my weapon shine so the rest envy me." He chuckled as he breathed upon her. "You will entertain me. I want all to know that I have you under my control. I want my weapon to dance for me." He set her in the arms of the Jotunness. He walked away from the two.
Several ideas formed into his mind. A guard rushed by his side to know what had happened. He told the guard to let all of the realm know that he will have a contest to see who can be the best at protecting his slave. Those who succeed will protect her. He also told the guard to tell the realm that he is wanting a mate that will become Queen of the realm ruling alongside him. He also wanted that as a contest. Grundroth wanted the best warrior female.
Sigyn was rolled her head back as the Jotunness ran to the healing chamber. She faded in and out as she heard the Jotunness yelled for help. She was passed to different arms. "Let me die. Let me be with my beloved." She moaned. Sigyn was placed upon the stone slab. Her clothes were stripped off of her. She was patted down and turned over. She could hear the gasps and the angered voices. Some were worried while others were threatening to take down the King. Sigyn felt the unconscious drifting in. One of women shook her.
"Wake up!" She yelled. "Stay with us."
"No," tears streaked down her cheeks. "He is gone. There is no life to live anymore. I am only a shell of what once was. I gave him my undying protection, what kind of Valkyrior am I? He is dead because I was not there. My loyalty is to him in life and death. A newly made bride," she laughed into hysterics. "Now a newly made widow."
The women started to whisper amongst another. One Jotunness came forward and found her hand. She had taken the ring and placed it on her finger. This confirmed the doubts that she was married.
Sigyn placed her hands upon her chest and she slowed her breath down. A Jotunness slapped her. She was then picked up by her and placed into the water. Another Jotunness cleaned the blood off of her and placed her back on the slab. Creams were spread upon her body and healing stones were crushed upon her. The scarred body became smooth again, as if it never been hurt. She was dressed in a soft plush gown. They carried her to the bed chamber.
"You will not allow yourself to die," the Jotunness commanded her. "I have lost my son and husband. I wanted death to greet me as I clashed and fought my way through several battles, wishing it would take me away. We knew you had been married. How else would you end up here besides to keep the contract intact? Do not let him know that you were married, he will keep you alive even more. He will make things worse than they are before."
"Does the loss ever go away?" Sigyn played with the ring.
"Never," she replied. "Though the pain lessens."
Sigyn sighed. "I will not let myself walk to Valhalla." She turned away and started to drift onto slumber. The Jotunness smiled and walked away.
Loki with his grey wolf pelt went through a portal in one of the mountain ranges. As he came out of the other side he came across pelts and pots. Loki felt the coldness rising. An iced spear ran alongside his neck. Loki chuckled.
"Who are you?" A female Jotun growled at him.
He grabbed her arm and turned blue. "I could ask the same of you."
Two Jotuns came from behind her. They were both men but one was young while the other clearly old. The elder pushed passed the two to look upon Loki.
"You have come through the portal," his voice was ragged. "You must have heard about the contest." The silence gave them the answer. "Hmm. You do not know."
"I came to get something of mine," Loki explained.
"We have nothing for you here!" The Jotuness pressed into his neck.
"Skadi! It is enough," the older one yelled at her. "He is from an older Jotun clan, have more respect. You see he has hair. It is rare to see that amongst the Jotuns. I am Thiazzi. This is my daughter and my son Olvadi, after my father."
"Storm giants," Loki mused. "I am Byleist."
"Ahh, you do come from an older clan," Thiazzi mused.
"What is this contest?" Loki looked to them.
"King Grundroth wants more guards for his weapon," he explained. "And a bride to rule with him."
Skadi put her weapon down. "I don't see why he doesn't mate with his weapon, she brings him great pleasure."
"She is small, like his size," Olvadi nodded his head to him. "Full grown too. He would break her."
"Her?" Loki feigned as if he did not know who it was.
"A Jotunness of great power, the Twin Flame," Thiazzi sat down. His age getting to him. "Grundroth wants one man and woman from each family to compete in his nonsense. Since you are here you can take the place of my son. I am on the verge of dying. You must be wanting something from the palace."
"Most likely," Loki knew where this was going.
"He will know how different you are," he inclined to his clothes. "Your thoughts and mannerisms are not from the clan that bears your name. We can help you."
"And why would I need your help?" Loki crossed his arms.
"You will be stuck here until the storm passes by," Olvadi pointed to the opening of the cave. The four of them walked to see. "It is the least we can do."
Wind gusted around them, snowflakes obstructed their view, and white clouds were hard to distinguish from the terrain.
"It is a tough terrain to get to the palace even without the weather," Skadi turned around and headed back into the cave. "I will show you the way, but once we are they we can go our separate ways."
"Do not let her intimidate you," Thiazzi leaned upon the wall. "She does not like Grundroth. We will help you, the storm should pass in about a few days."
Loki agreed. If Sigyn was Grundroth's weapon, he must use everything to get her back. He changed into Jotun garbs. He had a better dialect of the language. His mannerisms blended in with theirs.
While he started to become more with his culture, Sigyn had blood on her hands. Grundroth started to kill off those who were in the dungeons. The marauders who started the war amongst the Jotuns. He let all of those who were there to see what he could do. Sigyn would also be forced to dance during meal times.
Thor had saved the realms when the Convergence lined up with one another. He killed Malekith but Grundroth found out that he had a beast missing when the storm was done. It was one of the younger ones. It didn't help either that Sigyn had been captured a couple of times from some of the Jotuns. Grundroth killed them too. He fixed the cage in her chamber. She had on an anklet chain that once she pull hard enough the anklet unsnapped and the cage upon the bed fell down and around the person who ever tried to steal her away.
Loki and Skadi travelled to the ice palace. The two were showed to the throne room. There were a bunch of others waiting like them.
"The contest is to begin," Skadi could hear the conversations going on. "Today is the marking of what is required."
Grundroth came through and sat upon his throne. Loki pushed his way through after he saw several small pillars. He had a great view of the throne. Doors opened and he saw a disfigured silhouette coming into the light. Once into the light, he kept his composure, as Sigyn had a headdress of bones, feathers, and beads. All of it was silver. Grey cloth hid her eyes. Dark blues and teals with silver gossamer was fitted and draped around her body. Silver jewelry garnished her bare feet and body. Her back was left bare. She counted her strides, turned and walked to the side of the throne.
Loki could hear the whispers of intrigue and fear. He looked to her back, bare and untouched. He had a bad feeling about as to what was going to happen next. Sigyn stopped and kneeled into position. Loki became intrigued.
Grundroth spoke about the contest. He told them about the few tasks set before them and that the winners will be guards but the overall winner with be her personal guard. The winner of the women will be his mate and queen.
He then slipped his fingers through the rings and Sigyn raised herself up. His claws rested upon her back. She felt the tiny pricks as he grazed her back. Grundroth stabbed her and all of the pillars lit up with all of the colors she had control of. Gasps were met with silence. Loki watched the flames flicker and looked back to Sigyn. Grundroth roared that the contest has commenced. He then began to warn them that he was not one to be messed with. He tightened his hold on Sigyn as the flames went to the bright white. Loki could see the white flame flicker but his sights were kept on Sigyn. She never broke face but once the flames were done, Grundroth let go while slipping his fingers out of the rings. Sigyn bowed her head and stepped back. She maneuvered herself back into the darkness. The doors started to close and as it was just a small slit he saw her collapse as figures came to her aid.
Loki and the rest were then informed what all of the tasks would be. The first one would be to free the weapon from chains, the second one would finding it in the forest, and the last would be retrieving it and hiding it from others until he could arrive. The women had to hunt amongst the beasts, survive the sea, and they battle against the rest, the winner will be his mate.
The group was split up between the sexes. Sigyn was stripped of her clothes and healed again. She played with the ring to sooth her from the pain.
"It would have been nice if we had practiced it," Sigyn gritted as they placed her in the cold water. "Ahhhh." She breathed in and out. She felt her back was smooth but the heat was still there.
Loki searched the palace of ice stone. He thought he saw a figure going down the stairs. Loki followed but ended up getting grazed by one of the young pups. He headed up the stairs and found the women's corridor. The two guards looked at him and let him enter. Loki smiled as he was past them clutching his arm.
He could hear the chatter. Loki went through a doorway and got spotted by a young Jotunness. She saw his arm and beckoned him this way.
"You found the beasts," she put a salve upon his arm. "Never venture there again. The King does not like his beasts to be messed with."
He looked past her to see women around a bathing pool. The Jotunness turned around to see what he was spying at. "You aren't the first who has tried to view upon her. If any word of this has gotten out, you will end up dead."
Some of the women turned around to see who had come into the room. Silence swept through them as eyed him.
"We have a visitor," Sigyn went deeper into the water. "And by the silence, I take it a Jotun."
Loki walked towards them. "You are correct."
Some of the women started to whisper about him.
"Come to take a gander like the rest?" Sigyn dipped her head under.
Loki smirked. "If I would, I have already done it by now. I came to see what this weapon was about."
Sigyn came out of the water and rose up from the water. The women blocked his view as they helped her out of the water and dried her off. They put her into a long, black robe. It was one of the few times she could wear a dark color for mourning. She clutched the robe together as she walked around the bath. Her long hair draped the backside of her. The younger women brushed her hair and started to put it into intricate braids and loops. After they were done, she had the cloth upon her eyes taken away.
"Come closer," Sigyn walked over to him.
Loki narrowed his eyes as he did.
"Now, you'll see what kind of weapon I am," she stopped close enough for him to see the chains upon her eyes.
He stopped in shock. It was disfigured and grotesque. His heart clenched. What have they done to you? She then turned away from him and headed back to the group around her. They put on a new bandage. They had clothes for her but waited for him to leave.
A few of the women escorted him out. As he reached the end of the hallway, Sigyn had gotten into a night gown.
He left them and hid in the shadows, waiting for her to be escorted back. Sigyn had a few guards by her. He stayed behind enough to keep from getting noticed. Once she was in her room, the guards walked away. Loki snuck into her room and hid in the shadows. He could see that she was laying upon her bed with a chain anklet upon her.
"The chain is there to keep you from running," Loki emerged from his hiding.
"Another visitor," Sigyn mused. "Two in one night, so far."
"Well you are quite something to look upon," he leaned against wall. "In water and in bed."
Sigyn now knew that it was the same person. "Mmm. The same one. Still fascinated of what I have become?"
"For someone who is blind, you think you would remember my voice," Loki didn't answer her.
"The only voice that is different from the rest is the King's," Sigyn cocked her ear towards him. "I can differ between sexes."
Loki clenched his jaw. "Are you sure you are a weapon, it seems more as if you are a pet?"
"Far worse, a slave," Sigyn wanted to know what he wanted with her. Loki was about to walk towards her but heard footsteps running this way. He backed into the shadows.
The feet were of a young male Jotun. He rushed right in.
Sigyn knew this one was different. He came right up to her bed area. He grabbed her arm.
"Let's go," he snarled at her. "We only got this one chance and I hate to see someone like you go to a waste."
Sigyn did not move a muscle. "What do you want of me?"
"Your power," he yanked her closer to him.
"All the same," she drew back out of his grasp sighing at what she must do next. "Come closer." She patted onto the bed. The Jotun smiled as he got onto the bed. Loki was about to go to her rescue but she jumped off the bed and ran towards the light from the balcony. The anklet snapped off as the cage around the young giant entrapped him. She started to feel around looking for something. Sigyn felt the line the women had put around to show her where the light was. She picked up herself to launch forward into the moonlight.
Horns blew right when she had the light upon her. Loki stayed in the shadows. They heard guards coming their way. The young Jotun cursed as he tried to break free.
Sigyn heard certain footsteps. She quickly kneeled in place for Grundroth. He then looked to her as the guards took the Jotun out.
"You are not the first to steal my weapon," Grundroth looked down upon him. "But your punishment will show the rest of why I am King. Take him to the dungeons!" He headed to Sigyn. "The chamber is ready again." The group left and Sigyn rose. She walked back to her bed but was stopped by the sounds of Loki's footsteps.
"Now are you going to do the same?" She wanted to know.
"I'd rather go through contest," Loki smirked as he came towards her. "Besides where would the fun in that be."
"You want something," Sigyn sat down upon the bed. "They always do."
"Not afraid, are we?" Loki leaned against the bed to her. He grabbed a lock of her hair twining his fingers through it.
"It is an emotion that has become nothing to me," Sigyn turned her face to him. "The only feeling I have left is pain."
Loki got closer to her. He grabbed her face and placed it to close to his.
"Stealing a kiss?" She smiled as she tried to reach for him. Loki looked down to those treacherous lips with that same smile he knew all too well. She was about to do something that could call the guards back.
He let go and lurked away before she could. "Another time," was the last words from him that night.
Sigyn heard him leave before she fell asleep. She dreamed of a memory.
Frigga was walking back from breakfast. She heard the running of a child's feet. As she was about to peer around the corridor to see which child it was, the child had come around. Loki slowed up a bit as soon as he saw her. His face was full of fear and worry.
"Mother, what has happened?" He stopped in front of her. "She is gone. Sigyn left. She didn't even say goodbye. Why did she leave?" He looked up to her, wanting the answers.
"Oh, my dear Loki," Frigga crouched down to his level. "Those who are in our lives who become very dear don't always stay in our lives forever. She may come back."
"You must have known that she was going to leave," Loki peered into her eyes.
"I did not know," Frigga gave a comforting smile.
Loki knew the truth. "Mother I am getting better on the perception of others." He gave a half smile back.
She sighed. "You are, Loki. You are excelling in everything I have been teaching you. What happens around the palace is commanded by your father, he always has a plan as what is to come."
Loki looked down. "One day I shall know why she left, until then I will write to her as if she was still here."
She grabbed him into hug which he did the same. "Don't give up on hope that she will return. I believe she misses you the same."
"Thank you, mother," he released her and swiped a tear away from his left eye.
Thor came running down. "Loki! Did you hear? Sigyn is gone."
Loki turned away from his mother to view upon his brother. Frigga stood up. He then ran to Thor.
"Yes, but she will come back some day," Loki explained to his brother.
Sigyn tossed and turned as the next dream transitioned in.
Frigga paused to see Loki, a teenager, reading a book sitting upon a fountain edge. She smiled at his tranquility, but the doors busted open and the smile dropped. Thor, a teenager as well, came bustling in. Their hair was longer but Loki had a leaner body as Thor was slowly building up bulk.
"Brother!" He called to Loki. "How long are you going to be immersed in writing to girl who isn't ever going to come back?" He laughed as he strode up to him.
Loki did not even look up to him. "I am reading. Is there a quill in my hand?" He smirked.
"Enough," Thor leaned against the fountain. "There are battles to be won, conquests to be plundered, adventures that have are names written on them. Yet here you are nose deep in mundane words."
Loki snapped his book shut and glared at his brother in annoyance. "Books have all of that if you if you take the time to read one."
"Why should I do that?" Thor crossed his arms. "When I have you tell me all that I need to know."
Loki rolled his eyes. "Where are we going this time?"
"I hear the Valkyries have a lake that they must go through naked," Thor smiled.
Loki shook his head in dismay. "And this is your sort of adventure? Prying your eyes upon the women who would bring you to Valhalla."
"Not entirely," Thor thought through it.
Loki laughed. "Let's go see what trouble we can create." He slipped off the ledge as Thor walked away. He made the book disappear and headed out. Loki looked around and stopped to see Frigga. "Mother?"
Frigga smiled. "Be careful on your trip. She will come back one day."
Loki nodded his head to her. "I believe you."
Sigyn gasped out and clung to the sheets of the bed. She cried out in pain and sorrow waking herself up from the memories. Her hands searched for the ring in her pocket and sighed with relief that it was still there. She put it on and clutched it to herself. Laying back down, tears drizzled down from eyes in a steady stream. She did not know that she had fallen asleep until she was woken up by the women shaking her awake.
"Another nightmare," one of the women concluded by the distraught and despair on her face. "They're getting worse."
She went with the women. The sweat she accumulated from her nightmares was washed off in the cool water. She slipped her head under water and head in place there for a moment before she rose up out of the water.
They dressed her in whites and pale greys. Her hair was braided down and along the side of her neck. She put the ring in a secret pocket. She walked down the corridor. Before entering the throne room, Grundroth came by, linking up with her. He told her the plan and gave her a key. Sigyn nodded as he released her. He entered the throne room with Sigyn following behind him. All the competitors were there. Loki was close to the front. Grundroth stood by his throne and linked into Sigyn. He beckoned for his guards to come forward.
The young Jotun was brought forward and placed in front of the crowd.
"For treason against the King," one of the Jotun council men explained. "It is here by decreed that you shall be killed by the weapon you tried to steal away from."
Sigyn looked up to where the Jotun was at. She brought a circle of flames around him. The Jotun tried to run away, but the flames got taller and enclosed him. The blue flames engulfed him. He screamed in pain, but the flames turned colors. The screams kept on until bright, white light finally consumed him. The sound stopped as the charred body dropped to the floor.
Sigyn looked down to the floor again.
"This is a reminder of what King Gundroth can do," the guard spoke again. "Let this be a warning to the rest of you."
Grundroth let the rings drop from her. Sigyn bowed and stepped away. The guards took her away. She was sent down the stairs to the beasts. There she rode one to a treacherous mountain range. She got off the beast and onto one of the pups. There it took her to the top of one of the peaks where she had to crawl up the rest. She stood hidden on the side, locking her arms in the cuffs above her. She hid the key in one hand.
The men where then allowed to go find her and bring her back unchained. She sighed and waited for them to come get her. It didn't take long for them to find the mountain she was it. Loki and another Jotun were the first ones to the top. The other Jotun went farther up then he did. Loki knew exactly where to look. He had found her on the ledge.
He climbed to her. Sigyn could hear him coming, but knew there was another above her somewhere. The vibrations from him could be felt through the unstable rocks. Loki stayed close to the rock ledge. He came close to her body. He looked up to see some rock fall. Loki pressed his body onto hers to shield from the rocks.
Sigyn started to raise her knee, wanting to kick him off the ledge. Loki grabbed her knee and pressed it back down. "I would not dare," he whispered into her ear. He looked to see how to unchain her. "Where is the key?"
"I would rather stay chained," she whispered back to him.
Loki chuckled as his hands searched her. She gasped and tried to writhe free from his grasp. He found some metal in a pocket he went to grab for it, but heard the rocks come tumbling down. He pushed his body back against hers, pinning her to the rock wall behind her. She could feel his breath upon her neck. He even put an arm over her head. Loki pulled the metal out of the pocket but found the ring he had given to her. He looked back to her in surprise. More rocks came tumbling down along with snow. Loki protected her again. He put the ring into his pocket. His hands went to hers. He found the key and grabbed it.
"Well, that was not so hard now was it," he pulled away from her. Loki looked up to see a large hand grabbing onto the chain connected to rock.